


The Prisoner of Doctor Destroyer

by segerge



Series: TASK FORCE [53]
Category: HERO Champions
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 20:52:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6823678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/segerge/pseuds/segerge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(March 1st, 2012) The entire Hawkins family has only four hours to save the Earth from the consequences of how Starforce and Ladyhawk depowered Doctor Destroyer during the climax of 'Leap Day'</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Prisoner of Doctor Destroyer

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings** : Intense action sequences, imminent destruction of the Earth (again)
> 
> * * *
> 
> #### DRAMATIS PERSONAE
> 
> **heroes**
> 
>   * Julie Dormyer Hawkins (AKA Ladyhawk), Chairman of the Board of Directors for ProStar, disgustingly-powerful ninja with latent powers of temporal visualization
>   * Dr. Bob Hawkins (AKA Starforce), Senior Research Scientist for ProStar, disgustingly-powerful power-armor wearer/gadgeteer
>   * Rev. Kent Christiansen (AKA Spiritual Warrior), story-namer
>   * Nathan Hawkins (AKA Relativity), son of Bob and Julie Hawkins, speedster
>   * Laura Hawkins (AKA Chrona), daughter of Bob and Julie Hawkins, time-elemental
>   * James Hawkins, son of Bob and Julie Hawkins, gadgeteer
>   * Jillian Hawkins, daughter of Bob and Julie Hawkins, cyberkinetic
> 

> 
> **villains**
> 
>   * Tim Colton (AKA Gigaton), energy projector/brick
>   * Holo-D, holographic AI interface to Doctor Destroyer's old technical database
>   * Sennacherib, AI controlling Doctor Destroyer's computer network
> 

> 
> **others**
> 
>   * Shina Arikawa, head of domestic staff for Dormyer Manor (Julie's 'Alfred')
>   * Ted Jameson (AKA Ranger), Director-General of UNTIL, disgustingly-powerful speedster
> 

> 
> * * *

(Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II, Lakewood Village, TX. Morning, 3/1/2012)

(The Hawkins children are in the Great Room, eating breakfast while watching TV. Fox News is showing the video of Albert Zerstoiten's incarceration at New Spandau the previous day)

 **Announcer** : "Are we sure that it was Albert Zerstoiten? We only have Starforce's word on the elderly man's identity."

 **Analyst** : "Tetsuronin AND Defender were certain enough about the identification to allow Starforce access to New Spandau and accompany him themselves to witness the event. Also, keep in mind that Doctor Destroyer was born in 1917. The heroes in the video are obviously turning over to UNTIL custody a man in his nineties."

 **Announcer** : "But if it's Doctor Destroyer, where is his armor?"

 **Analyst** : "Details are still coming out concerning exactly what went on at the Pyramid of the Sun yesterday, but from what I currently understand he may have been fighting against DEMON himself. It is conceivable that his armor may have been irrepairably damaged by the forces which DEMON was attempting to harness..."

(Nathan Hawkins changes the channel)

(CNN is showing a video of a press conference held yesterday afternoon by the Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico. Bob 'Starforce' Hawkins, Julie 'Ladyhawk' Hawkins, and Ted 'Ranger' Jameson are at a hastily-erected table under a tent. Except for his helmet, Bob is still suited up)

 **Starforce** : "If you don't mind, the last 18 hours for Julie and I have been VERY confusing and exhausting, seeing as they involved close to four HUNDRED years worth of time travel along two separate timelines. Please, no more questions today."

(he and Julie get up to leave)

 **Reporter** : "Dr. Hawkins! How did you capture Doctor Destroyer?"

(Nathan changes the channel again. Laura Hawkins shakes her head)

 **Nathan** : "That is going to be one INTERESTING story when they finally wake up."

 **Laura** : "I *still* can't believe they hid what they were doing from us for TEN years!"

 **Nathan** : "The clues have always been there. We just didn't know how to interpret them."

(Jillian Hawkins puts her cereal bowl on the coffee table while her twin brother James leans back with a glass of orange juice)

 **Jillian** : "I always wondered why Dad changed his armor before teleporting up to the X'Endron flagship last summer." /* "Resistance Is Futile" */

 **James** : "I'd love to get my hands on its specs..."

(MSNBC comes off of commercial)

 **Announcer** : "The members of TASK FORCE may face serious legal consequences for their illegal entry into Mexico yesterday to fight a superbattle outside of Mexico City. In a press conference at the Department of Justice yesterday afternoon, the Attorney General had this to say..."

 **Nathan** (changing the channel): "It's OK for them to illegally cross to our side of the border but it's NOT OK for us to illegally cross to their side of the border? Got it."

 **Laura** : "How could they do that to them? Mom and Dad saved the world yesterday..."

 **Jillian** : "Maybe they didn't want to be saved?"

(ABC news comes off of their commercial break)

 **Announcer** : "New York City continues to mourn after UNTIL Director-General Wilhelm Eckhardt fell in battle yesterday leading a combined force of UNTIL and VIPER agents against a mass terror attack launched by DEMON..."

 **James** : "Imagine that. UNTIL and VIPER working together..."

 **Nathan** : "VIPER has really hated DEMON ever since the mid-1980's. Some incident in Boston or something."

(Nathan changes the channel again, and is lucky enough to catch CBS not on a commercial break)

 **Announcer** : "Theodore Jameson, former director of PRIMUS until its disbanding last year and leader of the superheroes which defeated DEMON yesterday in Mexico, is on his way to New York City this morning to meet with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Inside sources within UNTIL speculate that he could be offered the job of UNTIL Director-General as early as this afternoon. Simon Taylor has more from Turtle Bay..."

(The doorbell sounds)

 **James** : "Isn't it a little early for someone to be visiting?"

(As Nathan gets up, Shina Arikawa glides rapidly from the Kitchen into the Foyer. She is already pulling her Desert Eagle out of its back holster)

 **Nathan** : "Shina?"

 **Shina** : "Get the door, Master Nathan. I will cover you."

(beat, then Nathan walks to the front door. He opens it, revealing the supervillain Gigaton. He is carrying a white flag)

(tense pause)

 **Gigaton** : "Are your parents available? I need to speak with them."

 **Nathan** (beat): "Uh... could you give me a moment?"

 **Gigaton** : "Don't take too long. What I have to tell them is a matter of... some urgency."

 **Nathan** (beat): "Wait there."

(leaving the door open, he blurs and sprints for the door to the Master Bedroom.)

 **Nathan** (knocking): "Mom? Dad? We've got a situation at the front door..."

(the door opens to the Master Suite. Julie, hair messed up and looking VERY relaxed, has barely fastened her robe in time)

 **Nathan** : "Mom?!? WHAT are you doing?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Victory sex, dear."

(Bob is now visible behind Julie, also looking VERY relaxed while fastening his robe)

 **Starforce** (hugging Julie from behind): "Don't knock it until you've tried it, son."

 **Nathan** (jaw hanging open in shock): "Wha... How..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "What's wrong, Nathan?"

 **Starforce** : "Spit it out."

 **Nathan** (beat): "Gigaton is at the FRONT DOOR under a flag of truce. What the HELL do I do?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Invite him in. Duh."

 **Starforce** (to Julie): "That's a relief. I thought he was about to have an aneurysm over what we'd been doing."

 **Ladyhawk** (to Bob, smiling): "Stop it!"

 **Starforce** (to Nathan): "Tell him we'll be out in a couple of minutes." (indicates his robe) "I don't think he wants to see us QUITE like this."

* * *

(Great Room, Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II. Two minutes later)

(Gigaton is drinking a mug of coffee while looking at the Hawkins children. They are looking at him with a mixture of wonder and dread)

 **Gigaton** : "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

 **Nathan** : "It's because Mom and Dad have done a *really* good job of keeping their world away from us."

 **Jillian** (deadpan): "Until this morning."

(Laura flashes her a 'Be Quiet!' glare)

(Bob and Julie emerge from the Master Bedroom, both in sweats and a t-shirt. Almost magically, Shina is behind them with mugs of coffee for them)

 **Ladyhawk/Starforce** (to Shina): "Arigato."

(Shina nods and glides off to the side. Gigaton notes that though she is inobvious, she has a good line of fire to him)

 **Starforce** : "My father's chief lieutenant shows up at the doorstep under a flag of truce. That can ONLY be if the circumstances are extraordinary."

 **Gigaton** : "Thanks to what the two of you did in Mexico yesterday, we live in extraordinary times." (beat) "Extraordinarily SHORT times."

 **Starforce** : "He had a deadman's switch of some sort in his armor, didn't he?"

(Gigaton's jaw drops open, train of thought thoroughly derailed)

 **Gigaton** : "How did you know?"

 **Starforce** : "Before Captain Chronos took us all on our cross-time adventure yesterday, Destroyer left Vanshakarana for ten minutes, claiming that he had to set up something." (beat) "Also, there was a hardpoint on his armor yesterday which *should* have had something on it but didn't. Given that Shadow Destroyer had bested him in individual combat the previous time they had met, it seemed odd that he would short himself on carried equipment."

 **Ladyhawk** (deadpan): "Also, you just admitted it to us all."

 **Gigaton** : "That hardpoint was for a resonant nuclear disintegrator he has been working on over the past several years."

 **Ladyhawk** : "If it wasn't on his armor, then where is it?"

 **Gigaton** : "At his largest and most-protected base. Tartarus, on the Pacific coast of Kamchatka."

 **Starforce** : "For him to put it on a deadman's switch, it must be an especially deadly weapon."

 **Gigaton** : "Plugged into Tartarus' power grid and hooked up to an amplifier, it can reduce the entire world to gravel."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Why the HELL would he set something like that before we went to fight Shadow Destroyer?"

 **Gigaton** : "He thought that if his armor were destroyed, it would mean that he was dead and Earth was in the Qliphotic Realms. It would be a final act of mercy on his part to the people of Earth."

 **Nathan** : "Destroying the Earth as an act of MERCY?!?"

 **Starforce** : "Based on what Reverend Kayami always told us about the Qliphotic realms, it actually makes a twisted sort of logical sense..."

 **Gigaton** (to Bob): "Which begs the question of what you did to him yesterday that would destroy his armor yet leave him alive?"

 **Starforce** (coldly): "You don't need to know that."

 **Ladyhawk** : "QUIET, both of you! Mr. Colton, *how* do we disarm this disintegrator weapon?"

 **Gigaton** : "We'll have to go to Tartarus and shut it down there."

 **Starforce** : "And exactly how much time do we have left until detonation?"

 **Gigaton** : "Four hours, twenty-two minues."

 **Ladyhawk/Starforce** : "WHAT?!?"

(shocked pause)

 **Ladyhawk** (to the air): "House, priority call to Ted Jameson. Urgent!"

(tense pause)

 **House AI** : "Unable to reach Mr. Jameson."

 **Nathan** : "He was on his way to New York City for an interview with the Secretary-General. He could have his phone off while on the plane."

 **Starforce** : "Dammit!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "I'll get Matt..."

 **Starforce** : "Matt versus Destroids? Hel-LO??"

 **Ladyhawk** : "What about Reverend Kayami?"

 **Starforce** : "I don't know how to reach him OR Jason, and even if I did they'll almost be as useless against Destroyertech as Matt would've been..."

 **Nathan** : "Uh, Mom? Dad?"

 **Ladyhawk/Starforce** : "What?"

 **Nathan** (beat, waving his hands over himself and his siblings): "Why not take us with you?"

 **Starforce** (aghast): "Not only no, but HELL no!"

 **Ladyhawk** (shocked): "You're our children..."

 **Nathan** (interrupting): "You're running out of time and no one else is available!"

(Laura gets off the couch and stands next to her brother. She is visibly scared but looks at her parents unflinchingly)

 **Laura** : "Nate's right. You need our help."

 **Starforce** : "Your powers are untrained."

 **Jillian** : "So were yours when the two of you started 30 years ago. Trust me, I've programmed you guys enough for games."

 **James** : "Mom, Dad, we're running out of options and time!"

(beat)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Do you have suits?"

 **James** : "Simple armor for all of us, similar to what you wore before you and Dad got married."

(Bob and Julie look at each other, then at the children)

 **Starforce** (to the children): "Suit up. We move out in ten."

* * *

(Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II, 10 minutes later)

(Starforce and Ladyhawk step out of the Library in full kit. Their children are waiting, each clad in a destreum nanoweave jumpsuit)

 **Nathan** : "Awaiting your orders, sir!"

 **Starforce** : "Let's get something clear if you're going to be members of TASK FORCE today. Your *mother* was always second-in-command on missions behind Ranger. That makes her in charge for this mission."

 **Nathan** : "Oh!" (to Ladyhawk) "Awaiting your orders, ma'am!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "We're not in the military." (beat) "You wouldn't happen to have codenames, would you?"

 **Laura** : "Uh, no?"

 **Ladyhawk** (beat): "Fine." (points at Nathan) "You're Relativity."

 **Relativity** (uncertain): "Okay..."

 **Ladyhawk** (pointing at Laura): "You're Chrona."

 **Chrona** (beat): "Hm. I like it."

 **Ladyhawk** (pointing at James): "You're... Mr. Fixit."

(Jillian fails at suppressing a snort of derision. James elbows Jillian)

 **Ladyhawk** (pointing at Jillian): "And YOU'RE Firewall."

 **Firewall** : "Wow. That's lame..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Not my problem. Deal with it."

 **Starforce** : "Before we go, do we have everything we need?"

 **James** (patting the equipment harness over his armor): "I packed an equipment harness. Energy projectors, electrogravitic modules, tools... Didn't know if we needed them or not."

 **Starforce** : "We might. Good thinking."

 **Jillian** (lifting Holo-D's case): "I thought we might need him, too. Since your father originally programmed him and we're going to your father's secret lair and all that..."

(the gem on the case glows, and Holo-D's image appears next to it)

 **Holo-D** : "You love me! You really love me!!"

 **Jillian** (to Holo-D): "I missed you, too."

 **Holo-D** : "Why did you have to throw me away like I was a toy? That hurt!"

 **Jillian** (to Holo-D): "I've been busy growing up. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

 **Ladyhawk** (looking everyone over): "Are we all ready?"

(beat, then everyone nods)

 **Starforce** : "House. Drop the interdiction field, then raise it after we teleport out."

 **House AI** : "Understood." (beat) "Interdiction field is dropped."

 **Chrona** (to Relativity): "This is exciting. AND scary..."

 **Relativity** : "We always wanted to know what it was like to be Mom and Dad. Now we find out."

 **Ladyhawk** (to Gigaton): "Any time, Mr. Colton."

(Gigaton works some controls on his left bracer as Starforce pops his faceplate open and turns around)

 **Gigaton** : "Porting in 3... 2... 1..."

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!)

* * *

(Main Teleport, level Alpha-1, Tartarus, Kamchatka Penninsula, Russia. One second later)

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!)

(Clan Hawkins and Gigaton flash into existence)

 **Starforce** (throwing up): "(HWAUUGHH!!)Dammit!(hachk!)"

 **Chrona** : "Dad? Are you all right?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "He's allergic to quantum displacement teleportation, dear..."

(Starforce looks up, and his eyes briefly widen before his faceplate slams shut. Standing, he points a gauntlet at Chrona, forcebeams building to discharge)

 **Ladyhawk** (Danger Sense screaming): "GET DOWN!!"

(Chrona drops prone as Starforce fires a 28d6 TK Martial Strike over her body. She looks over her shoulder just in time to see the debris cloud from the first Destroid shred the second Destroid behind it)

(Ladyhawk half-move leaps over the children, throwing a shuriken. It hits another Destroid and explodes, destroying it)

(Relativity blurs, and another Destroid falls apart)

 **Starforce** (coldly, to Gigaton, forcebeams building to discharge): "You betrayed us."

 **Gigaton** (firing an energy blast destroying yet another Destroid): "If I did, then WHY ARE THEY ATTACKING ME?!?"

(tense pause)

 **Gigaton** (to Starforce): "Go ahead and hit me with your forcebeams. I need to bulk up to fight the Destroids hand-to-hand."

 **Starforce** (firing at Gigaton): "Hand-to-hand is the best strategy?"

(Gigaton absorbs 30 BODY from Starforce's attack, boosting his STR to 90 and REC to 35)

 **Gigaton** : "Against this model in close quarters, yes!"

(turning around, he wades into another squad of Destroids, fists flying. Starforce joins him in martial-arts mode back-to-back, then Ladyhawk somersaults around blaster fire to join them back-to-back-to-back. Her katanas flash as she tears through still more Destroids)

(James and Jillian are back in a corner of the teleporter room, guarded by Chrona and a forcewall on James' equipment harness. They are watching the melee in the rest of the room, wide-eyed)

 **James** : "I had no idea real combat could be so quick and violent..."

 **Jillian** (hitting James): "Snap out of it! We need to hack into the Destroid's network or we'll never get outta this room!"

(beat, then James nods)

 **James** : "NATE! GRAB ME A DESTROID HEAD!!"

 **Relativity** : "On it!"

(there is a blur and gust of wind. A Destroid head appears next to James and Jillian)

 **James** : "NOW we're talking!"

(as James pulls tools out of his equipment harness, Jillian unlimbers Holo-D's case)

 **Jillian** : "Wake up, buddy, we need you!"

(the gem lights, and Holo-D's image appears)

 **Holo-D** (looking around): "Some party you're throwing..."

 **Jillian** : "Knock it off! If James supplies a transmitter to you can you get the Destroids to stop attacking us?"

 **Holo-D** (sarcastically): "Gee, I don't know. You ignore me for years after I raise you and play with you, then you want *me* to save your life?"

(Jillian holds Holo-D above the forcewall. A volley of blaster fire causes her to drop the case into her lap)

 **Holo-D** (frightened): "OKAY, I'LL HELP!" (beat) "James, what do you have?"

(James flips the switch on the power cell he just rigged onto the Destroid head. It powers up)

 **James** (to Holo-D): "Do you need a physical connection?"

 **Holo-D** (condescendingly): "Please. Destroyer had Wi-Fi and Bluetooth before those words were even *invented*!"

 **Jillian** : "Do you know what to do?"

 **Holo-D** : "Shut the Destroids down, figure out where we are, where we need to go, and what to do when we get there. Amirite?"

 **Jillian** : "DO IT!!!"

(the mass of Destroids around Gigaton, Starforce, and Ladyhawk suddenly drops to the floor in unison. Relativity skids to a stop, having been orbiting the outside of the mass attempting to whittle their numbers down)

 **Holo-D** (singing): "I've got no strings... on meeee...."

 **Ladyhawk** (to James and Jillian while sheathing her katanas): "Thank you. That was quick thinking."

 **Holo-D** (pouting): "What? No love for ME?"

 **Ladyhawk** (sighing, to Holo-D): "You too."

 **Holo-D** : "Thank you. Now before anyone gets too comfortable, I suggest we leave the teleporter room and turn right. There is an express elevator stop at the end of the hall. We all need to be on that elevator in sixty seconds or we fight more Destroids."

 **Ladyhawk** : "EVERYONE! MOVE OUT!!"

(as they leave, James grabs an intact blaster arm from one of the wrecked Destroids. Jillian looks at him archly)

 **James** (to Jillian): "WHAT? We might need it..."

 **Ladyhawk** (to Holo-D): "Where do we need to go?"

 **Holo-D** : "Ultimately, Gamma Sector." (beat) "We'll never make it that far before Sennacherib finds my backdoor and kicks me out."

 **Starforce** : "So what do we do?"

 **Holo-D** : "If we HURRY, I'm trying to take us to a secure location in the Beta levels where Jillian can help me get better established within Sennacherib."

(in front of them is a door both Starforce and Ladyhawk recognize as being identical to the ones for Vanshakarana's express elevator system. The door opens)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Everyone in! GO GO GO!!!"

* * *

(Arboretum, level Beta-10, Tartarus. One hour later)

(Clan Hawkins has made a secure encampment at one end of a vast space filled with trees, vegetation, and flowing water. There is a violent gust of wind, and Starforce appears with various parts and equipment)

 **Starforce** : "Had to go back to the Alpha levels before I could find a teleport room."

 **Ladyhawk** : "You were gone long enough. I almost sent Nath... uh, Relativity after you."

 **Starforce** (dropping the parts by James): "There was some resistance."

 **Jillian** (deadpan): "We know, Dad. We could feel the battle all the way up here."

 **Starforce** (kneeling by James): "You're welcome." (beat) "Aren't you supposed to be helping Holo-D?"

 **Holo-D** : "My backdoor into Sennacherib is secure. For now."

(Starforce sits back against a tree trunk, all the better to supervise James)

 **Starforce** (to Holo-D): "You never told me about this base."

 **Holo-D** : "In my defense, I never told you about ANY of his bases. I wasn't originally programmed with that information."

 **Starforce** : "Then where did you pick it up so quickly?"

 **Holo-D** : "Right after Jillian trojaned me in. I didn't know how much time I would have, so I went for the map of Tartarus first before stopping the Destroids."

 **Starforce** : "For being programmed by my father, you're being awfully helpful..."

 **Holo-D** : "You are his son." (beat, whispered) "And I've grown quite fond of your family. Please don't tell them."

(Starforce looks at Holo-D. If his faceplate was up, he would appear shocked)

 **Starforce** : "You weren't kidding when you said that to Jillian!"

 **Holo-D** : "Is this how toys feel when the child grows up and abandons them?"

(awkward pause)

 **Starforce** : "I think you've watched the _Toy Story_ movies a few too many times."

 **Holo-D** : "I was created by the son of a dollmaker, remember?"

 **James** (interrupting): "Dad? Gotta problem..."

 **Starforce** : "Yes?"

 **James** : "I only packed two power cells, and they're both in use."

 **Starforce** : "What did you do with the other one?"

 **James** : "A direct neural transceiver for Jillian to hook into Sennacherib. You know, in case something happens to Holo-D..."

 **Starforce** : "That cell wouldn't have been enough to power the teleport emitters I got you. At least, power them to get the range we're shooting for..."

(before James can protest, he reaches to his belt and pulls two power cells out of his suit)

 **James** (shocked): "DAD!"

 **Starforce** : "If I cut my reflexes 25% I won't drain my suit's reserves." (hands the cells to James) "And either one of THESE will get the teleport unit past geosynchronous orbit easily."

/* in terms of game mechanics, by handing James 2 of his 8 Endurance Reserves Starforce has effectively cut his SPD from 8 to 6 for subsequent fights */

(Relativity blurs and appears)

 **Relativity** : "There's a grave down here!" (points behind him) "About thirty feet that way!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "How recent?"

 **Relativity** : "1993."

 **Gigaton** : "Tartarus has been deserted for 20 years! Nobody should BE here..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Relativity, Gigaton, stay here with James. Nerd-boy and I will check it out."

 **Relativity** : "I left Chrona at the gravesite."

 **Starforce** (looking behind Relativity with Human Tricorder powers): "Got her. She's still there."

(Starforce flash-steps ahead as Ladyhawk runs toward Chrona. She registers movement, and to her surprise finds Jillian running alongside)

 **Jillian** : "Don't have anything to do right now. Needed to stretch my legs..."

(Ladyhawk and Jillian stop by Starforce, who is kneeling by a tombstone. The carvings on it read "ROBERT WASHINGTON KAUFMANN 1951-1993")

 **Chrona** : "Wasn't he the Golden Avenger back in the 1980's?"

 **Ladyhawk** (sickly): "Yes."

 **Starforce** (sickly): "He and Spiritual Warrior were holding Doctor Destroyer when the Zeta Beam hit us at Detroit in 1992."

 **Jillian** : "Not to play Captain Obvious here, but if he died in 1992 then *why* does his tombstone say 1993?"

(Before anyone can answer, Chrona's Danger Sense goes off for something off to her right. She looks in that direction, then brings her hands up into an attack position)

 **Chrona** (to someone unseen in the shadows): "You there! Identify yourself!"

 **Voice** : "I was trying to see who was visiting Robert's grave."

(the silhouette that just spoke to Clan Hawkins is tall. It steps out into better lighting, and both Bob and Julie gasp in shock)

 **Spiritual Warrior** (stepping into the light): "Hi, guys."

* * *

(Arboretum, level Beta-10, Tartarus. One second later)

/* suggested music: [In Reverence](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXRK_g96mbU), by David Tolk */

(Starforce pops his faceplate open while he and Ladyhawk walk up to Spiritual Warrior. They are still very much in shock that he still lives)

 **Ladyhawk** : "We... thought you were vaporized along with Doctor Destroyer and Detroit!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "That's what Destroyer wanted everyone to believe."

(long pause, then he hugs both Starforce and Ladyhawk)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "How are you guys?"

 **Starforce** : "Julie and I went ahead with our wedding. I... hope you're not upset."

 **Spiritual Warrior** (laughing): "Always with the non sequitur in a tense situation!"

 **Starforce** (tears in his eyes): "You were supposed to officiate at it."

 **Ladyhawk** (elbowing Starforce while smiling and crying): "Some things haven't changed." (beat) "Let's head back to base camp."

(Chrona and Jillian exchange a brief glance. This is the first time they have seen their parents crying over someone)

(the party starts walking away from the grave back to their encampment)

 **Starforce** : "So what happened back at Detroit?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "You never knew that Doctor Destroyer faked his suicide that day?"

 **Starforce** : "Not until two days ago, and even then I assumed that the quantum displacement beam he piggybacked on the Zeta-Beam was for him only."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "I suppose that's understandable."

 **Ladyhawk** : "So the beam grabbed all three of you?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Robert was reading his Miranda Rights, Destroyer gave his parting monologue, Khereviel's Danger Sense went off, there was a blinding flash, and the next thing I know the three of us are surrounded by Destroids in one of the teleporter rooms down in the Alpha levels."

(by now, the party has reached the encampment. Spiritual Warrior looks over the Hawkins children)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "And who is your team?"

 **Starforce** : "Our children."

(Spiritual Warrior looks at Starforce and Ladyhawk in shock)

 **Ladyhawk** : "They have powers."

 **Starforce** : "No one else was available after we defeated DEMON and both Doctors Destroyer yesterday."

 **Spiritual Warrior** (eyes widening): "Wait. There were TWO Doctors Destroyer?"

 **Gigaton** : "If I can interrupt the reunion for one second, here?"

(Spiritual Warrior makes eye contact with Gigaton. Khereviel teleports instantly into his hand)

 **Spiritual Warrior** (to Gigaton, menacing): "And you are with them because..."

 **Gigaton** : "In three hours, an experimental resonant nuclear disintegrator somewhere here at Tartarus will activate."

 **Starforce** : "Ten seconds after THAT, the Earth will be an expanding cloud of debris."

(stunned pause)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "WHY?"

 **Starforce** : "Twenty-four hours ago, Destroyer was about to enter combat against DEMON and an alternate-timeline version of himself, with only myself and Ladyhawk as allies. He apparently set a dead-man's switch in his armor that would trip and activate the device in the event his armor was destroyed."

 **Ladyhawk** : "What he DIDN'T anticipate was that Nerd-boy had developed something that would destroy his armor while leaving him alive."

 **Starforce** : "We used it on him after we defeated both Shadow Destroyer and DEMON, not knowing any better."

(James has looked up from his work on the improvised teleport unit during all this)

 **James** (whispered): "Who's the old guy?"

 **Jillian** (whispered): "Old spud's a teammate of Mom and Dad's from back in the day. Show some respect."

(Spiritual Warrior shakes his head slowly)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "This... is a lot to take in after twenty years." (beat) "So what's the plan?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Our daughter Jillian has Sennacherib back-doored. We'll have some control over how much opposition we face until we reach the disintegrator."

 **Starforce** : "Our son James is whipping up a teleportation unit. We slap it on and 'port it into deep space."

 **Spititual Warrior** (smiling): "Just like Albuquerque?" /* "Reconnaissance In Force" */

 **Starforce** (beat): "Yeah. Just like."

* * *

(level Gamma-1, Tartarus. One hour later)

(Ladyhawk and Gigaton lead the party. Jillian walks immediately behind them holding Holo-D, who has reconfigured himself into a holographic map of Tartarus Base. The rest of the Hawkins children walk with Spiritual Warrior)

 **Relativity** : "It still makes me nervous we took over an hour at the Arboretum."

 **James** : "Relax. We're still over 90 minutes from initiation. Plenty of time to spare."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Your father used to say that the thing he hated the most was time to spare."

 **Chrona** (nervous chuckle): "That sounds like something Dad would say."

(beat)

 **Relativity** : "What was it like, being imprisoned here all these years?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** (beat): "Lonely, after Robert died."

 **Chrona** : "I'm sorry..."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Don't be, child. God has a greater purpose for me that requires me to be here."

 **Relativity** : "So Destroyer just let you roam his base, then?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "We had free rein of only the Beta levels and rudimentary access to Sennacherib. The Alpha and Gamma levels were sealed off from us."

(awkward pause)

 **Chrona** : "Why did the Golden Avenger die?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "He had an advanced case of Cyberline poisoning. He lasted only six months after our imprisonment."

 **James** : "I STILL can't believe people used to use Cyberline to induce superpowers! What were they thinking back then?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "If the poisonous properties of it were known before 1992, they weren't advertised."

(with a gust of air Starforce flash-steps in front of the party)

 **Starforce** : "We're clear to the stairway. Haven't seen a Destroid in 10 minutes, though."

 **Ladyhawk** : "That's not good."

 **Gigaton** : "Sennacherib has probably pulled all his forces back to the physics lab to defend it. If *I* knew that was the only possible place you would be going, that's what I'd do."

 **Ladyhawk** (to Holo-D): "What level is the lab on?"

 **Holo-D** : "Gamma-3."

 **Starforce** : "I'll scout up to the landing on Gamma-3."

(with a gust of wind, he flash-steps away)

 **Relativity** (to Spiriutal Warrior): "What were Mom and Dad like back when you fought alongside them?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Young, stubborn, full of life and energy... They expended as much effort snarking at each other as they did fighting supervillains."

 **Chrona** : "You're kidding. Right?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Your father was convinced with every fiber of his being that your mother was out of his league, and your mother would have rather died before admitting that she loved him." (beat, distantly) "Which quite literally happened, as events turned out..." /* 'The City That VIPER Built' */

 **James** : "I think it's called 'Belligerent Sexual Tension' on TV Tropes."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "So what were they like as parents?"

 **Chrona** : "Well, they had originally retired as superheroes to raise us."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "But yet they're suited up."

 **Relativity** : "Sometime around the time Doctor Destroyer returned from the dead..."

 **James** (interrupting): "Allegedly returned from the dead. We're talking the alternate-timeline version that arrived in 2002."

 **Relativity** (beat): "...Uncle Ted apparently put your old team back together. We had no clue they had UN-retired until yesterday afternoon!"

 **Chrona** : "They hid that from us for 10 years!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Considering that they were fighting a version of Doctor Destroyer, I would not be so quick to criticize them for protecting you from their world."

 **Relativity** : "Don't you think we deserved to know?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Did you miss out on any aspect of your childhood because they weren't there for you?"

 **Chrona** : "Well, there was that one time right after we enrolled at Little Elm High School..."

(she trails off uncomfortably. Even two years later, the memories of that weekend are still unpleasant) /* 'Cliques' */

 **Relativity** : "Mom and Dad went missing for three days at a time we *really* could have used them."

 **James** : "But they set things right once they returned."

(by now, they're at a stairwell. Gigaton opens the door and looks both up and down)

 **Ladyhawk** (over her shoulder): "Hush, guys."

 **Gigaton** : "Clear. I think I see your husband at the top... Yeah, he just waved."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Let's go, team..."

 **Starforce** (over radio): "Wait one, guys, I am SO stupid!!"

 **Ladyhawk** (over radio): "Nerd-boy? The clock's ticking..."

 **Starforce** (over radio): "Have Kent use my eyeballs to spot an LZ!"

(awkward pause)

 **Ladyhawk** (over radio): "Oh, my God! I'm just as stupid as YOU are!" (to Spiritual Warrior) "Kent, can you mind-link to Bob?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** (smiling): "I was wondering when you'd remember." (to Starforce) ((looks a bit tight for all of us on that landing. Can you move out into the corridor?))

 **Starforce** : ((wait one))

 **Ladyhawk** (to the team): "Everyone, get around Spiritual Warrior."

 **Starforce** (surprised, over radio): "Oh CRAP!!"

(Ladyhawk hears the sound of multiple rapid barrages of forcebeams followed by multiple explosions. The floor two levels down shakes in sympathetic response)

 **Ladyhawk** : "STARFORCE!!"

(tense pause)

 **Starforce** : "I think they know we're coming, now!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** (mentally): ((that spot there, Bob)) (verbally) "Porting in 3... 2... 1..."

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!!)

* * *

(Nuclear Physics lab, level Gamma-3, Tartarus. One minute later)

(the lab is now shaking continuously from the energies being released just outside. Dust trickles down from the ceiling with each explosion and impact)

(with a gigantic BOOOM!! the flaming wreckage of a Destroid blows the door open. Gigaton strides through, then freezes)

(with a gust of debris, Starforce flash-steps into the lab)

 **Starforce** (looking at what Gigaton is looking at): "You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!!"

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!!)

(Spiritual Warrior and the rest of Clan Hawkins flash into existence throughout the lab. They look at what Starforce and Gigaton are looking at)

 **Jillian** : "Whaddya know, Dad! Your father built a barbershop quartet of android duplicates!"

(FOUR perfect duplicates of Doctor Destroyer in his battlesuit stand between Clan Hawkins and a flashing cylinder on a raised dais toward the back of the lab)

(Segment 2, effective DEX 35. Ladyhawk beats Spiritual Warrior in the roll-off. Her Danger Sense screams about Android #4 pointing a shoulder-mounted weapon at James and Jillian)

 **Ladyhawk** (throwing herself in front of James and Jillian): "NO!!"

(Spiritual Warrior allocates his VPP to Aid STR, self only)

 **Spiritual Warrior** (praying): "God, give me strength..."

(effective DEX 33. Relativity misses Android #3 with a move-by punch)

(DEX 30. Android #3 beats EVERYONE in the mass DEX 30 roll-off. It fires a 20d6 AP area-effect blast in front of Relativity which hits him for 21 stun after all defenses. The knockback throws him into the wall to the right for 2 more STUN)

(Starforce goes next. He fires a 28d6 TK Martial Strike at Android #2 for 24 STUN)

 **Starforce** (to Jillian, forcefield rippling): "If you can get Holo-D to reprogram them to sing in harmony, I'll double your allowance!"

(Chrona goes next at effective DEX 30)

 **Chrona** : "NATHAN!!"

(She flares incandescent and hits Android #3 with a 5d6 NND Constant SPD Drain, lowering its speed to 7. Android #3 won't go again until segment 4)

(Android #1 hits Gigaton with a 20d6 APx2 Blast + 7d6 END Drain multiple attack for 14 STUN and -42 END)

 **Gigaton** (laughing): "THAT all ya got?"

(Gigaton's 24d6 Megablast does 25 STUN to Android #1. It catches itself in mid-air before the knockback can carry it even a meter away)

(Android #4 fires a flechette spray at James and Jillian. Three of the five shots that should have hit them hit Ladyhawk instead for 3 BODY and 18 STUN. Shots 4 and 5 hits Holo-D's case, knocking it out of Jillian's hand. Sparking and spraying glass-like debris, it caroms off the wall behind them and lands on the floor)

(Android #2 finally gets to go, hitting Starforce with a 30d6 APx2 Blast for only 16 STUN)

* * *

(Segment 3, effective DEX 35. Ladyhawk rolls out of the knockback, and her katanas spring into her hands. Snarling, she launches herself at Android #4 as he strides toward James and Jillian. The android catches her before her katanas hit and throws her across the lab into Gigaton for 30 STUN on him. She bounces her half of the move-through damage, but Gigaton is knocked back into a lab bench to the left for 14 more STUN)

(James and Jillian are frozen, watching Android #4 tossing their mother to one side so casually while striding toward them like the second coming of the Terminator)

(Effective DEX 33. Relativity gets up and sees Android #4 casually throw his mother to one side. He barely scratches it, only doing 4 STUN)

(Android #2 misses Starforce with a combined 7d6 END Drain/14d6 Suppress Damage Reduction)

(Android #1 hits Starforce with a 20d6 APx2 Blast/7d6 END Drain multiple attack for 10 STUN and -47 END)

* * *

(Segment 4, effective DEX 35. Spiritual Warrior swings Khereviel at Android #4 and hits for 15 STUN. The Android staggers a bit but keeps on walking)

(DEX 30. Starforce hits Android #2 with a 30d6 TK Offensive Strike for 38 STUN, CON-stunning it while it flies into the back wall next to the glowing cylinder)

(effective DEX 30. Still tangled up with Ladyhawk, Gigaton is still able to free an arm and hit Android #1 with a 24d6 megablast for 35 STUN. The knockback throws it across the room into the right-hand wall for 16 more STUN)

(Chrona's constant SPD Drain has Android #3 now down to SPD 6)

* * *

(Segment 5, effective DEX 35. Ladyhawk backflips off of Gigaton)

 **Ladyhawk** (to Gigaton): "Sorry."

(She sees Android #4 literally ignore a blow from Khereviel and still advancing on James and Jillian. She throws an energy shuriken set for taser mode and hits Android 4 for 44 STUN, CON-stunning it)

(James still has a held action from segment 3 that he didn't use. He grabs the Destroid blaster arm he scavenged from the first battle, now equipped with one of Starforce's two loaned power cells)

 **Jillian** (screaming): "JAMES!!"

 **James** (to Android #4, screaming): "DIE!!"

(He plunges the blaster arm into Android #4 and triggers it. With a horrible, electronically-distorted squeal the android shorts out, convulses, and falls down in front of James motionless)

(Also DEX 30. Android #1 hits Starforce with its Synaptic Interference Cannon before he has a chance to reallocate his forcefield for -17 END. Since he only had 3 left after the previous attack, he now takes 29 STUN)

 **Starforce** (gritting his teeth, forcefield finally rippling as he reallocates 10 PD and 10 Mental D to Power D): "Dammit..."

(Android #2 hits Chrona with its Synaptic Interference Cannon for -10 END)

* * *

(Nuclear Physics Lab. Simultaneous with Android 4 dying)

(before the floor finishes shaking from the impact of Android #4's remains in front of them, Jillian is looking back toward Holo-D's case)

 **Jillian** : "HOLO-D!!"

(as James deploys the forcewall generator from his equipment harness, Jillian crawls over to Holo-D's casing and brings it back over to James. There is an ugly hole almost all the way through the casing, which has exposed sparking connections and severed fiber-optics whose flashings are slowing down as they look at them)

(slowly, almost fitfully, Holo-D's image appears. It blinks and jumps in a manner unfamiliar to the children)

 **Jillian** (to James): "Bro, you've gotta fix him! Please..."

 **Holo-D** (looking at James and Jillian): "Guys?"

 **James** : "Hang in there, buddy. I'll get you repaired in no time."

 **Holo-D** (tremulous): "I... I'm scared."

(Holo-D dims, flickers, and vanishes. Tense pause)

 **Jillian** (to James, grimly): "Bro, neural link. Now."

 **James** : "I haven't had time to test it..."

 **Jillian** (trying to grab it off his equipment harness): "No better time than the present!"

 **James** : "You'll be KILLED!"

 **Jillian** : "Right now, I'd rather take Sennacherib with me than cower behind your forcewall!" (yanks at it) "HAND IT TO ME!!"

(beat, then James lets go)

 **James** : "The inductor ring goes around your head..."

 **Jillian** (interrupting, placing the inductor ring on her head): "I think I could figure that one out."

(James clips a fiber-optic pipe between the neural link and the Destroid head that he had been using as a transceiver. The telltales on the link casing flash green)

 **James** (setting the Destroid head on Holo-D's casing): "You're live, sis!"

 **Jillian** (beat): "Do it, bro."

(James flips a switch. To Jillian's eyes there is a vast, disorienting rush of motion just beyond the edges of her perception. When it clears, she finds herself on a neon-inscribed grid. Mist and vapor swirl indistincly among the grid lines)

 **Jillian** : "Seriously? _The Matrix_ had better effects!"

 **Voice** : "Sorry to dissapoint you, child."

(the voice belongs to a male avatar clad in a simple jumpsuit. Except for the burn across one cheek, he looks a LOT like her father)

 **Jillian** : "Sennacherib, I presume?"

 **Sennacherib** : "You presume correctly."

 **Jillian** : "You just killed someone who was very important to me as a child. That's not a safe state to be in right now."

 **Sennacherib** : "Spare me. You treated my father's second-greatest creation as a CHILDREN'S TOY!" (beat) "Killing your so-called 'Holo-D' was an act of *mercy* on my part!"

(tense pause)

 **Jillian** : "If you're going to provoke me into doing something rash, you'll have to do better than that."

 **Sennacherib** : "Oh, I'm just getting warmed up, child. Shall we talk about how you treat all those around you as lame and disposable just to keep them from hurting you?"

 ****(the indistinct mist over the gridwork suddenly becomes one of the map packs for _Call of Duty: Caped Crusaders_ )

 **Sennacherib** (continuing): "Or perhaps we should discuss what it really means when you convert your parent's old superhero team into a game."

 **Jillian** : "You're going to regret this..."

 **Sennacherib** : "And now we see the chink in your armor, child! The desperate cry for attention from your legendary parents... or would it be better to describe as seeking their APPROVAL?"

(Sennacherib's avatar suddenly transforms into Doctor Destroyer, in full kit)

 **Sennacherib** : "Play with me, child. I've been looking forward to this for a full second!"

* * *

(Nuclear Physics Lab. Simultaneous with Jillian entering cyberspace)

(segment 6, effective DEX 35. Ladyhawk holds her phase to coordinate attacks with Spiritual Warrior)

(Spiritual Warrior swings at Android #1, Khereviel now set to Penetrating. He hits for 3 BODY and 15 STUN. Ladyhawk's taser shuriken hits for 54 more STUN, CON-stunning Android #1)

(effective DEX 33. Relativity sees Android #1 fall to its knees and move-by punches it for 5 STUN)

(DEX 30. Gigaton holds his phase for Starforce)

(Starforce takes 3 more STUN just to lift an arm toward Android #1. A 30d6 TK Offensive Strike does 19 STUN. Gigaton's Megablast does 15 more STUN. The combined knockback damage from both those attacks pins Android #1 forcibly against the wall for another 18 STUN)

(Android #1 recovers from being stunned)

(Chrona holds her Drain SPD on Android #3. It's now down to SPD 5, and has lost the ability to act this segment)

(Android #2 fires a combined 20d6 APx2 Blast/7d6 Drain END at Chrona. Her Danger Sense gives her enough warning that she aborts her phase 8 action to Martial Dodge. The attack misses, but she has to wait until Segment 10 to re-establish the SPD drain)

(DEX 24. The flatscreen behind the glowing cylinder lights up. A stunningly-rendered CGI head of Albert Zerstoiten, complete with cheek burn, regards everyone in the lab imperiously)

 **Sennacherib** : "Meatspace fools! You think you can stop the end of the world."

 **Starforce** : "Do you know who I am?"

 **Sennacherib** : "Yes."

 **Starforce** : "Do you know why he set the Doomsday Device?"

 **Sennacherib** : "Yes."

 **Starforce** : "Are we in the Qliphotic Realms right now?"

 **Sennacherib** : "No."

 **Starforce** : "Then WHY are you still trying to destroy the Earth?"

 **Sennacherib** (shrugging): "I have my orders, Son of Zerstoiten!"

 **Starforce** : "Then you now have new ones. As the Son of Albert Zerstoiten, I ORDER you to stop the countdown!"

 **Sennacherib** : "That's not how it works... Bob."

 ****(over his head, a timer reading 01: 25:30 starts counting down)

 **Sennacherib** : "You know the rough part about being an AI interacting with meat space? Minutes seem like hours to me."

(the numbers on the monitor timer suddenly accelerate, so that a minute is now lost each second)

 **Sennacherib** : "I wonder what it's like for hours to seem like minutes?"

(Sennacherib laughs maniacally as the surviving android's Destroyer-beams warm up for discharge)

* * *

(Cyberspace)

(in a flash, Jillian transforms her avatar to wear Starforce's armor and have Ladyhawk's katanas)

 **Sennacherib** (laughing): "Again with the parental approval issues?"

 **Jillian** : "Do you REALLY think that I adopted TASK FORCE as player characters in a computer game JUST to gain my parent's approval? SERIOUSLY?!?"

 **Sennacherib** : "You know it, even if you won't dare admit it to yourself."

 **Jillian** : "You're supposed to be the most advanced artificial intelligence on Earth! HOW can you possibly be SO WRONG?!?"

 **Sennacherib** (sighs): "Fine. Die in ignorance."

(a massive energy beam springs from his avatar's gauntlet and connects with the forcefield around Jillian's avatar. She no-sells the impact. Maybe there was a reason she chose her father's battlesuit?)

 **Jillian** : "TASK FORCE was more than a military officer trying to live up to the heroic ideals of his martyred brother!" /*Ranger */

(Sennacherib pours more energy into the beam. Jillian takes one laborious step against the force of the blast)

 **Jillian** : "More than the promise a nine-year old girl made over her parent's bodies to bring VIPER to justice!" /* Ladyhawk */

 **Sennacherib** : "WHY won't you DIE?!?"

 **Jillian** (taking another step toward Sennacherib): "More than a geeky child genius from Indianapolis blissfully unaware of who his real father was!" /* Starforce */

 **Sennacherib** : "Shut. UP!!"

(Jillian AID PRE [self only] rolls +35 PRE)

 **Jillian** (now walking steadily against the force of the beam): "MORE than a seminary student stumbling upon a secret as old as Genesis underneath Jerusalem!" /* Spiritual Warrior */

(Sennacherib tosses an explosive attack at Jillian, which does not slow her down)

 **Jillian** : "MORE than a Jamaican orphan whose heart was deeper than his voice!" /* Mr. Bassman */

(Sennacherib is now backpedaling away from Jillian)

 **Jillian** : "MORE than an alien prince so scared of turning into his bully of a brother he hid his true power from himself!" /* Sage */

(Jillian Aid PRE [self only] rolls the remaining 25 PRE she needs to fill her maximum roll. She now has 80 PRE to use against Sennacherib)

 **Sennacherib** : "STOP!!"

 **Jillian** : "MORE than the trucker saved from an otherwise-fatal industrial accident by Michael Renton!" /* Minuteman */

 **Sennacherib** : "GET AWAY FROM ME!!"

 **Jillian** : "MORE than an ace TV reporter who died saving humanity before he could confess his love to the man AND woman he adored!" /* Powerfist */

(Sennacherib's avatar trips over a crate lying inexplicably around the battlespace)

 **Jillian** (standing over Sennacherib): "MORE than the master supervillain who fought them for so long he became their closest friend!" /* Biomaster */

(Sennacherib tries to crawl away from Jillian and comes up hard against a wall)

 **Jillian** : "If you don't know TASK FORCE the way I do, I guess you don't know me very well after all."

(Jillian now gets +3d6 on her PRE attack for an incredible soliloquy, plus +1d6 for displaying her cyberkinetic powers)

 **Sennacherib** (beat, sobbing): "Who ARE you?!?"

 **Jillian** (voice ringing while throwing a 20d6 PRE attack against Sennacherib): "I AM THE GRAND-DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR DESTROYER!" (beat) "And YOU. *WILL*. OBEY ME!!"

* * *

(Nuclear Physics Lab. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(Spiritual Warrior runs to James)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Is the teleport unit ready for use?"

 **James** : "Yes! I just need to get to the Doomsday Device to..."

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!!)

 **James** (staring at the Doomsday device directly in front of him): "...rig it?"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Set it up and be quick about it! I will defend you."

(as the battle rages around them, James works with blinding speed rigging the teleport unit around the Doomsday Device)

 **James** (proudly): "Done!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "You're quicker than your father ever was. And he was FAST..."

 **James** : "Thank you."

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Now how do we operate it?"

 **James** (holding a remote up): "As soon as we get off the platform here, I press this remote and it reappears beyond geosynchronous..."

(the penumbra of a Destroyer-beam blasts the remote out of James' hand, doing 3 BODY and 15 STUN. Its parts spray across Starforce)

 **James** (in pain): "AAAAAHHHH!!!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Is there another way to activate it?"

 **James** (gasping, still in pain): "Big red button, top ring!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "Thank you. Stand clear, son."

(James suddenly realizes what Spiritual Warrior is about to do)

 **James** (grabbing at Spiritual Warrior with his intact hand): "Oh, no you DON'T! You'll be dragged with the unit into deep space!"

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "My story is over, James Hawkins. Yours is only beginning. Live it the way God intended."

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!!)

(James reappears by Jillian, who is still curled up in a lotus trance with Holo-D's casing and the Destroid head)

(Starforce is not so busy fighting the androids to have noticed what just happened. More importantly, he figures out what is *about* to happen)

 **Starforce** (horrified): "KENT! NO!!"

(between that and her Danger Sense, Ladyhawk is now aware of what is about to happen. *Her* eyes widen in horror, too)

 **Spiritual Warrior** : "THIS is why God has kept me alive these many years! THIS IS WHAT HE WANTED ME TO DO!!"

(Spiritual Warrior slaps the big red button James had previously indicated)

(zzzzzZZZZZAP!)

(Spiritual Warrior -- and the resonant nuclear disintegrator -- vanish)

 **Ladyhawk** (screaming): "NOOO!!!"

* * *

(Cyberspace)

 **Sennacherib** (looking to one side): "The disintegrator! My mission!!"

(that moment of distraction is all that Jillian needs. In a single, fluid motion both katanas spring from their scabbards and plunge into Sennacherib's avatar. He convulses, screaming, as electricity crawls the length of his body, finally leaving only smouldering ash)

/* using a PRE attack to enhance the effect of your Mind Control is SUCH an unexploited mechanic in the Hero System rules... */

 **Jillian** (kneeling down, exhausted): "I told you that you were going to regret this."

* * *

(Nuclear Physics Lab, level Gamma-1, Tartarus. One second later)

(Androids #1 and #2 abruptly power down and collapse to the floor, deactivated. Android #3, still under the slowly-fading influence of Chrona's time bubble, slowly turns to Starforce)

 **Starforce** : "What the..."

 **Android #3** (to Starforce): "I await your command, Son of Zerstoiten."

(THAT gets everyone's attention)

 **Starforce** (beat, looking at where the disintegrator had been): "A little late, don't you think?"

 **Android #3** : "Reverend Christiansen initiating the teleport was the distraction our mistress needed to liberate us from the Doomsday protocol."

 **Ladyhawk** : "MISTRESS?!?"

(Starforce and Ladyhawk look over toward Jillian in alarm. Her eyes are still closed, and she is still plugged into the Destroid head resting on Holo-D's ruined case)

 **Jillian** (eyes closed): "Mom, Dad, I'm fine. I'm finishing up Sennacherib's reprogramming."

(beat, then Jillian reaches her hands up to the induction ring around the top of her head. She takes it off, then wobbles while still seated. Her eyes blink rapidly while she shakes her head)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Jillian? What did you DO??"

 **Jillian** : "I fought Sennacherib. Online."

 **Starforce** : "And?"

(James helps Jillian to her feet)

 **Jillian** : "I grew up."

(beat, then she throws herself at her parents and hugs both of them. There may be tears in her eyes)

 **Jillian** (voice catching): "How do you guys deal with fighting supervillains and saving the Earth all the time?"

(tender pause)

 **Ladyhawk** : "When we figure that out, dear, we'll let you know."

* * *

(Level Gamma-three, Tartarus. Thirty minutes later)

(Starforce and Ladyhawk have commandeered the holotank across from Doctor Destroyer's personal quarters and are talking with Ted 'Ranger' Jameson and UNTIL's HQ staff. Starforce's helmet is off)

 **Ranger** : "I get a panicked call from your house's AI while I'm en-route to New York, there is a massive and mysterious explosion 35,000 kilometers above Kamchatka half an hour ago, and you two are *now* calling me from somewhere IN Kamchatka, if UNTIL's ping-tracing isn't being spoofed."

 **Starforce** (coldly): "If you're insinuating that we staged all these events for the benefit or detriment of your job interview right now, you'll take that back after we get done describing the HELL we've just been through."

 **Ladyhawk** (coldly): "And what we had to put our children through because no one else was available to help save the world."

 **Relativity** : "Mom? Dad? We VOLUNTEERED..."

(Ladyhawk motions him to be silent)

 **Starforce** : "Reader's Digest Condensed Version of our last four hours. Gigaton told us that Destroyer had a dead-man's switch in his battlesuit rigged to a doomsday device. Which we *tripped* when we depowered him at the Pyramid of the Sun yesterday."

 **Ladyhawk** : "James, Jillian, and Spiritual Warrior saved the world with ten seconds to spare."

 **Starforce** (beat): "You're welcome."

(Ted suddenly realizes the last name Ladyhawk dropped is familar)

 **Ranger** : "Wait. Kent SURVIVED Detroit?!?"

 **Starforce** (coldly): "Yes, but he's dead for real this time."

 **Ladyhawk** : "He manually activated the teleporter James built to move the device off-planet before it could activate, and was dragged with it into deep space."

 **Starforce** : "While *that* was happening, Jillian broke Destroyer's primary AI -- who calls itself 'Sennacherib,' by the way -- in single combat within cyberspace."

 **Ranger** : "Oh, my God..."

(shocked pause)

 **Ranger** : "Where are you calling from now?"

 **Starforce** : "It appears to be my father's old master headquarters. The initial map Sennacherib has shown us includes an underground harbor large enough for that big-assed submarine he used to own, dormitory facilities that can hold around 5,000 comfortably, and -- if the map legend can be believed -- an art museum and a seed bank."

 **Ranger** (beat): "Is the _Poseidon's Fist_ THERE?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "It appears to be. We haven't been down there, yet."

 **Ranger** : "How could Destroyer hide a facility that big in Russia, of all places?"

 **Starforce** (deadpan): "Go to New Spandau, wake him from hot sleep, and ask him yourself."

 **Ranger** (annoyed): "Funny."

 **Starforce** : "Nobody lives in this area of Kamchatka, we're surrounded by active volcanoes which are *guaranteed* to hash IR from orbit, and the geomagnetic stresses from the Pacific-Eurasian Plate boundary just offshore should render long-range energy sensing problematic at best." (beat) "Offhand, I'd say he chose the location very well."

 **Ranger** : "Well, then." (beat) "You're Destroyer's son, you're there, and by primogeniture and right of salvage his base is yours. Dare I ask what you intend to do with it?"

(beat, then Starforce smiles evilly)

 **Starforce** : "Part of me wants to tell you that I'll be taking _Poseidon's Fist_ on a World Domination Cruise just to see what your reaction will be."

 **Ranger** : "Assuming I were to survive the ensuing heart attack, I *would* make you regret saying that."

 **Starforce** : "Like I said, *part* of me."

 **Ladyhawk** : "What we're ACTUALLY doing before we lock up and leave today is performing an initial inventory of items and tech secrets."

 **Starforce** : "Whoever is in charge of UNTIL when we're done is getting that list plus instructions on how to get here."

 **Ranger** : "I think I know the answer to my next question already, but humor me. What do you want in return?"

 **Starforce** : "My good name cleared and to be left alone."

 **Ranger** (beat): "That's what I thought."

(awkward pause)

 **Ranger** : "Kent was alive after all these years. Damn!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "He wouldn't want you to swear like that about him."

(Ted smiles sadly)

 **Starforce** : "To find him alive after thinking he was dead for 20 years, then to lose him again almost immediately. Yeah, it was a gut-punch for both of us."

 **Ladyhawk** : "The children talked with him quite a bit before our final battle. I'll have them do after-action reports."

 **Ranger** : "Thank you."

 **Starforce** (beat): "Well, love to talk some more but we're battered, bruised, and still have a small underground city to inventory."

 **Ladyhawk** : "We'll be in touch when we're done. Good luck with your interview!"

 **Ranger** : "Thank you, I think. Bye."

(the UNTIL logo fills the holotank until Starforce switches it off)

 **Ladyhawk** (walking over to the consoles Jillian is at): "Status?"

 **Jillian** : "Won't go any faster with you breathing over my shoulder, Mom."

(Starforce joins Ladyhawk. Beat, then Jillian stops her work)

 **Jillian** (to Starforce): "Is it true Holo-D can't be repaired?"

 **Starforce** : "The holographic memory cubes were shattered. James or I could put in new ones..."

 **Jillian** : "But he'd have to be reprogrammed from scratch." (beat) "It wouldn't be Holo-D."

 **Starforce** (shaking his head): "No. No, it wouldn't."

(tender pause)

 **Jillian** (voice catching): "We need to bury him, then."

 **Starforce** (hand on her shoulder): "Talk with me tomorrow."

 **Jillian** : "Thank you, Dad."

(Ladyhawk leads Starforce away and out of the Holosimulation Room)

 **Starforce** : "Were we wrong to let Holo-D interact with our children like we did? Jillian seems to be taking what happened real hard."

 **Ladyhawk** : "How hard did *you* take it when Merlyn died in your lap?"

 **Starforce** (beat): "Good point."

 **Ladyhawk** : "That's what makes us human, Nerd-boy."

(she stops in front of the last door to their left. It whooshes open, and Starforce sees an opulent master bedroom suite. His mouth drops open as he walks in)

 **Starforce** : "Wait. Is this..." (beat, then cheerfully demented) "...the Bedroom of Doctor Destroyer?"

 **Ladyhawk** (giggling while joining him): "According to the site map, yes."

(Ladyhawk starts to take Starforce's armor off)

 **Starforce** (incredulous): "NOW, Ninjette?"

 **Ladyhawk** (sultry, pushing him toward the bed): "Now."

(the door whooshes shut)

* * *

(The Vault, level Gamma-2, Tartarus. Two hours later)

 **Gigaton** : "Why are we here, again?"

 **Starforce** : "There's something I need to show you before we go."

(they emerge from the hallway into an art gallery full of paintings from the Impressionism era)

 **Gigaton** : "An art gallery? Really?"

 **Starforce** : "We have to go through here to get where we're going."

(they cross the first gallery and take a curving ramp up to the upper level whose balcony is surrounding the first level)

 **Starforce** : "The artwork in that room has been stolen from its proper owners anyway, judging from the initial research my daughter Jillian has done."

 **Gigaton** : "You're not going to keep it, then?"

 **Starforce** : "When I leave here, I'm going straight to UNTIL with what we've found. Keeping or disbursing most of the contents of Tartarus will be *their* problem."

 **Gigaton** : "You learned your lesson from 20 years ago?"

 **Starforce** : "Based on how I spent my last three days, I just got out from under that stigma." (beat) "I would prefer not to be under it again."

(they have walked halfway around the upper gallery. A large Rodin can be seen down the remaining part of the gallery to be walked and viewed)

 **Gigaton** : "So you're going to give all of it up, then?"

 **Starforce** : "Most of it."

 **Gigaton** : "WHY?"

 **Starforce** : "What would I *do* with it?" (indicates the Rodin) "Just to give you one example. Past that statue, according to Jillian's initial inventory, is a collection of artwork from the Middle Kingdoms period of Indian history and a collection of antique Buddhist and Hindu holy writings. Those belong to the peoples of the Vale of Javangiri, don't you think?"

 **Gigaton** : "You got me there, Doc. I've never been much for the arts."

 **Starforce** : "Me, neither." (beat) "You begin to see my problem."

(Starforce leads Gigaton down a side hall into a long gallery featuring antique European furniture and immediately turns left to face an armored door)

 **Starforce** : "Now if Jillian did her work correctly, we should be able to enter this room without any..."

(the door opens automatically, revealing a high-tech room with sensors all around it)

 **Starforce** : "...problem. Come along now, we're almost there."

(Gigaton follows Starforce into the room, and the door shuts. The sensors pulse, then the door to their left unlocks and opens)

 **Starforce** : "Good, it recognizes me. You, too, until you teleport out."

 **Gigaton** : "Now WAIT a minute..."

(Starforce silences him with an upraised hand. Sharing the room with them are three large, hermetically sealed pallets)

 **Starforce** : "Sennacherib, open the pallet doors."

(with electronic bleeps, the doors on all three pallets flash, unlock, and open. Gigaton gasps in shock as he sees that all three of them are full of cash)

 **Starforce** (pointing): "That pallet is one BILLION American dollars. *That* pallet is one BILLION euros. And *THAT* pallet has one BILLION Central Asian rubles."

(Gigaton's jaw opens)

 **Starforce** : "If you promise me *right* *now* that you will retire from being a supervillain and never commit another crime again, I promise you that I will forget I ever saw any of those pallets when I turn my report into UNTIL."

(shocked pause)

 **Gigaton** : "You're kidding me!"

 **Starforce** : "No, I'm not. It's a one-time offer, though."

(tense pause)

 **Gigaton** (extends hand): "Deal."

(they shake on it, then Starforce turns to leave)

 **Starforce** (over his shoulder, coldly): "And if you reneg on it, I *will* find you."

(he leaves Gigaton alone with his fortune)

* * *

**EPILOGUE** : Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II, Lakewood Village, TX. The next day.

(James and Jillian are in the back yard, near the property line with Dr. Fuseli and standing in front of two tombstones. The one on the left reads MERLYN 1982-1999, the one on the right reads BASKERVILLE 1997-2010. Jillian is holding the casing of Holo-D and crying, James has just finished digging a small grave to the right of Baskerville's with a telekinetic gauntlet on his left hand)

(grunting, Bob walks up to them from the manor with another tombstone. He sets it down in front of the grave James has just dug. It reads HOLO-D 1992-2012)

(Jillian kneels and gently lays the casing into the grave. James manipulates the controls of the gauntlet, and he slowly lays the dug-up soil back into the grave)

(beat, while Jillian sobs and James fights back tears. Finally, Bob holds them both and closes his eyes)

* * *

(Angelstone Labratories College Point Facility, Queens, NYC. Mid-morning, 3/5/2012)

(middle management is accompanying newly-minted UNTIL Director-General Ted Jameson on a tour of the laboratory)

 **Manager** : "There's no runway at Tartarus site, so the only air access is by VTOL. Based on Dr. Hawkins' initial inventory, Angelstone will be bankrupt from the required fuel cost *alone* getting it all out."

 **Ranger** : "What about by sea?"

 **Manager** : "We could do that, but we'd need to deploy a Mulberry before we could load them. The safest place to do THAT along that shoreline blocks the submarine access to the underground harbor." (beat) "It would be cheaper to just have an UNTIL presence AT Tartarus and perform inventory and analysis there..."

 **Ranger** : "Not an option. Tartarus is on Russian territory, and unless they sign the Martinez Treaty we can't maintain a long-term presence there."

 **Woman's voice** : "Excuse me?"

(they turn toward the sound of the voice. She is young, conservatively-dressed under her lab coat, tall, with dark hair. There is an Israeli accent to her voice)

 **Manager** : "Yes?"

 **Woman** : "Doctor Destroyer controlled his teleportation web from the Tartarus site, didn't he?"

 **Manager** (annoyed): "Yes, he did. Your point?"

 **Woman** : "Why can't we use IT to beam all his technology here to Angelstone Labs?"

(stunned silence)

 **Ranger** (to the Manager): "Well?"

 **Manager** (stammering): "Uh... we'll get right on that, Director-General!"

(the manager runs off. Awkward pause while Ted looks at the woman)

 **Ranger** : "I should know you from somewhere..."

 **Woman** (shy smile): "I was 15 when you last saw me, General." (beat) "I'm Jocelyn Sher."

* * *

(fin)


End file.
